How to make the most of Winter Wonderland London 2021

Winter Wonderland 2020 had been postponed in 2020 because of COVID, but 2021, it’s come back but with changes to the entrance system. If you want to visit Winter Wonderland London in 2021, there will likely be safety precautions because of COVID, and you’d have to pay to get in, unlike 2019. I am not going to visit Winter Wonderland in 2021 because of the new Omricon variant spreading around in London. Hopefully in 2022, everything will be back to normal. Read on to find out more about what to expect in 2021.

How much are the tickets for Winter Wonderland in London?

In 2021, you can visit Winter Wonderland at any time unless it’s time-slotted because of the virus. This year you’d have to pay your tickets and pay for the entrance fee of between £5 or £7 unless you’re lucky enough to find a free off-peak ticket. You’d have to pay for the rides, and prices may vary. In 2019, you can get the Winter Wonderland Ride Pass where you’ll be able to tap and ride as many times as you want. Prices may change every year. In 2019, for 45 days, you can top up a minimum of £20, but you’ll get an extra £5 if you spend £80 so you can enjoy more rides. If you’re planning to visit for a day, the Ride Pass isn’t worth it. Check out the prices on their website here.

If you go on the rides, it costs around £3 to £9 per ride. With a Season Ride Pass, you can top up spending on each ride throughout the 45 days it’s open. The rides include Santa Land for younger toddlers and babies, Zippo’s Circus and an ice rink, great for all the family, as well as the freefall Power Tower 2 for the brave. Throughout the year, Winter Wonderland gets better and busier with more rides.

If you only want to spend just one day in Winter Wonderland, then buying tickets from the ticket booth is more ideal for the rides. The next day, you’d have to pay again if you don’t have the Season Ride Pass.

To go and see the paid attractions like the Magical Ice Kingdom, Paddington Bear on Ice, and Cirque Berserk Circus show, you’d have to choose a time slot when you want to see it and go from there.

Hotels near Winter Wonderland

As Winter Wonderland is in Central London, there are hotels in every corner, and it’s also next to the hotel district. However, they are all 5-star hotels, and if your budget can afford it, feel free to book there. Hotels such as the Hilton Park Lane, Hilton Hyde Park, InterContinental Hotel, and Amba Hotel are all situated next to Hyde Park. If you want a cheaper option, it’s better to find accommodation near Victoria Station or Notting Hill. You can visit Portobello Market in Notting Hill while you’re there too. Once it’s safe to do so, I’ll write more about the neighbourhood of Notting Hill. Feel free to contact me on Facebook for more information on accommodations.

Introduction to Winter Wonderland London 2021

Opened in 2005 offering just a small fun fair corner, Winter Wonderland served many rides for all ages, and in 2008 and 2010, Winter Wonderland introduced the Bavarian Village.

Winter Wonderland London 2021: Do you love funfair rides?

Do you love Christmas songs?

Do you love to dance to Christmas music?

Do you love to sip on mulled wine, eating burgers and chips and general street food?

Do you love to visit Santa?

If you said yes to all those questions, then you’re in the right place.

In this post, you can read and plan for Winter Wonderland 2021.

My experience in Winter Wonderland

I’ve been to Winter Wonderland three times since I lived here and three times, I enjoyed every minute of it. In 2019, it was very colourful. Lights from the fairground rides, children and adults screaming their heads off, and people gathering for mulled wine, cider and burgers and chips. Festive music blaring and people dancing, linking arms, listening to cheesy British and Christmas music.

In 2020, Winter Wonderland was cancelled due to COVID. I was devastated, but I understood, we all need to be safe. In 2019, it seemed bigger and better with new rides compared to 2018. The colours on the rides were brighter and felt it was an upgrade to the last year. Bavarian Village was bigger than last year in 2018, but I couldn’t find the village last year. In 2019, it was the first thing I saw as I entered Winter Wonderland. You’d feel like you’ve stepped into the village of Bavaria. We’ll talk more about that below. So, in 2021, the Bavarian Village should be better than in 2019. Check out their website to plan your visit.

Insider’s Tips: I advise on booking in advance and prepare for the quiet and busy periods. Winter Wonderland is open during the day, but it’s not as fun as it is at night.

I enjoyed my time going on the rides but it was too expensive for me because I paid £10 for a few minutes ride, which wasn’t worth it and you could be spending around £100 for the night. To be honest, not a lot of people enjoyed the rides, and from experience, it’s just another fun fair and have said it looks magical from the outside. I beg to differ, it did feel magical. The Bavarian Village, the Christmas music, and the German themed food stalls felt magical to me. It was made with wooden huts, with white and red checked curtains selling German hot dogs and Bavarian children statues, and the Christmas music made it that extra special.

There are many places for you to eat in despite Winter Wonderland being crowded. When it rains, which is quite frequent, it can be muddy and stressful.

The circus seems to be a little cringey for adults but the kids love it. I went on the Giant Wheel but on the website, they said you can see London’s Sky Line at the top, but it was dark beyond the lights of Winter Wonderland. Maybe in the afternoon, it’s a little different.

Getting to Hyde Park Corner

When visiting Winter Wonderland London 2021, your nearest train station will be Victoria Station. Your nearest tube station will be Marble Arch or Hyde Park Corner, but it will take you 17 minutes to walk from Victoria Station to Hyde Park. It’s better to take the tube, the train, or buses. As many know, London can be convenient and accessible when it comes to public transport.

Getting to Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch are easy. Hyde Park will just be in front of Marble Arch tube station, and Hyde Park Corner is on the other side of the park. I went to London Bridge Station, and it was just one interchange from Green Park taking the Jubilee Line.

Winter Wonderland 2019

It seemed extremely easy to get to Winter Wonderland in 2019 because I left a little earlier than last year. I couldn’t remember why it was so busy in 2018. In 2018, the queue was long, and it took about half an hour for me to get in but in 2019, it took just five minutes. There were around 1000 people in the crowd queuing in 2018, so it was so disorganised. In 2019, there were around 100s of people waiting before being bag searched. I feel the entry fee during peak hours would lessen the crowds to keep social distancing this year.

The first thing I saw in 2019 was the Christmas stalls selling street food and drinks as well as the Christmas markets. Great first impression. Even the Big Wheel was more colourful than the year before. A tall, and colourful Christmas tree stood in front of me. Hyde Park at night is pitched black, and the only thing you’ll see are colourful lights, blue, green, yellow, red, orange twinkling in every corner. You’ll be able to see people walking from the lights at the stalls.

People were already queuing up to get a bite to eat, you’ll probably waiting for around 10 – 20 minutes to get your turn. You’ll hear people screaming and shouting on the fairground rides, and people get disappointed because they didn’t win a teddy bear at the fishing stalls. In 2018, the twinkling blue arches that represent Winter Wonderland couldn’t be found, it was on the other side of the park. It’s better to see in real life since it’s gigantic compared to what you see in photos.

Bavarian Village

As I walked further, I saw the Bavarian Village, which I couldn’t find in 2018.  The large colourful neon “Bavarian Village” sign is all you could see floating at the top. Every year, Winter Wonderland has a themed Bavarian Village, and you can sip on mulled wine, eat burgers and chips, and eat in German-style restaurants. “German Sausages” signs were written either in German or English, as most of the food is German. The stalls were made from wood and had checked red and white curtains, the staff making their German sausages were wearing the traditional Bavarian costumes; dresses with aprons, and knee-high socks, while Bavarian music plays in the background. I just stepped inside the village of Bavaria, even though I was in London.

I could hear a guy singing Christmas music on the balcony, people linking arms while they were dancing and laughing having a good time. I then went through a huge wooden chalet and saw thousands of people sitting in the middle of the room. At the front end of the chalet, a man sang YMCA on the stage. The crowd had a great experience with him being the entertainer, and people were dancing around in front of him. It was a vibrant atmosphere.

Eating and drinking areas in the Bavarian Village

There are lots of people walking up and down, and it does feel vibrant, festive, and loud. There is a large tent with seating areas which seats more than 100 people. Choose any food stalls you want and eat anywhere you like. I could smell chicken, pizza, and the strong onions and garlic while they were cooking their burgers, and I saw a few people holding their hot drinks with their gloves. There were plenty to choose from, and you wouldn’t run out of places to eat. However, for the quality of the food here, a mid-size cheeseburger cost me £9. It looked simple for £9, as they just slapped a slice of cheese and onions, but if you’re feeling cold, and you need a winter warmer, the juicy taste of the burger, onions, tomatoes, and mustard will make you feel better.

The Big Wheel

I went on The Big Wheel in 2019. On the internet, it says the Big Wheel is bigger than the Big Wheel in 2018. When I went on it, the height didn’t really make a difference, and went around five times. The lights on the Big Wheel were better in 2019 compared to 2018. I thought I could see the view of London from the top, but it was dark, however, you could see the colourful lights on fairground rides, and people the size of ants walking from the top of the Big Wheel. It was colourful but the pods had banisters that obstructed the view of the bottom. Plus, it wasn’t worth taking pictures from the top, it was better to take pictures when you’re on the ground.

Winter Wonderland London 2021: Magical Ice Kingdom

I went to see the Magical Ice Kingdom in 2019. It was quite spectacular, and I did enjoy myself. In 2019, the ice sculpture consists of a story trail about Charles Dickens at Christmas, with the likes Ebenezer Scrooge. It was a memorable experience, but for £10 for 13+ year olds (adults) and £8 for a child (2-12), half an hour wasn’t really that worth it.

It was dark and what made the environment brighter were the ice sculptures. I am sure the creators did an awesome job creating the characters from ice. I rate their hard work at least.

Conclusion

Winter Wonderland is a must visit, and it’s one of the attraction to see during December months. You’d be spending more on Winter Wonderland than the Christmas markets around London. The only downside to it was that everything in the stalls were expensive. The Big Wheel was fun, but it wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was, and for £11, it wasn’t worth it. The best thing about it were the colours from the rides at the bottom. Even though it was bigger than 2018, there’s no difference in the view from the top.

Overall, in 2019, I felt it was more organised than 2018, and the queue was shorter. I only had to wait five minutes before I entered the fairground. In 2018, I waited around half an hour before being bag checked.

As for the rides, they were all the same, nothing different from 2018. There were rides for all ages, and I think £3 for small rides and £9 for roller coasters are standard price you’d pay if you were to go on any fun fairs in London. I enjoyed myself and enjoyed the rides I went on; the smaller rides were cheaper than the larger rides like the roller coasters but honestly, not worth the money I paid for.

The Bavarian Village was a favourite of mine because it showed the festivity of Christmas. People were singing the British YMCA song, and this got everyone together. I loved the lights, the Bavarian theme stalls, and costumes from some of the staff, and I loved everything there. From the food and drink to the German themed market, you’ll never run out of places to eat.

Santa’s Grotto was closed so I couldn’t review it, but my friends have kids who went to see Santa’s Grotto. They said the kids enjoyed it since they sat in front of him and laughed. To see Santa it’s free in Winter Wonderland, compared to the one in Leicester Square. He will give every child a gift, so that’s something memorable for your children. If you want to find out more about free things to do in London in December, feel free to contact me via the Facebook icon. There are many more places to visit, but since it’s COVID, I’m not able to review it at the moment.

You can also go ice skating, but you’d have to pay around £9 – £11 per adult.

Annisa’s advice on Winter

Wonderland London 2021

Winter Wonderland is always crowded no matter the year, especially weekends, in the evening. If you don’t like crowds, visit during the day. The lights aren’t that great but if it’s the fairground you’re after and the sipping of mulled wine and burger and chips, then the lights won’t be that important. 

The queue for the rides can sometimes be long or short, and it depends on whether the rides are popular or not. If you do get the Season Ride Pass, you can jump the queue, but it really depends on the time of day and what rides you want to go on. 

The queue for attractions like Magical Ice Sculpture can be busy, that’s why there are time slots to go, so book in advance on their website.

There are usually wet days and dry days. I cancelled going to Winter Wonderland twice because it was raining. So, check the weather forecast one day before your planned visit. If it is raining, I wouldn’t bother but then again, you can’t predict the British weather, and sometimes, people have fun in the rain. If you do decide to go when it’s raining, make sure to bring a winter jacket and boots with you. It can get muddy. Remember, Winter Wonderland is in Hyde Park.

That’s it, we’re nearly there guys, just a few more months to go. If you want to plan your trip to London for Christmas, feel free to contact me on my Facebook page.

Right now, stay safe, keep reading, and take care!!!